962 Years of Darkness
by RabatoeSprings
Summary: After a bout of amnesia, Becky Botsford rediscovers her true identity. What will she do when a new catastrophe looms on planet Earth? Crossover with Xiaolin Showdown. I do not own WordGirl characters and I definitely do not own Xiaolin Showdown characters.
1. Chapter 1

Autumn winds gently sway the trees around Main Street. It is a rather chilly afternoon in Fair City, as the pedestrians wear light jackets and extra layers of clothing. One of the commuters, a middle-aged man, tired of the capricious weather, decides to stroll into a nearby coffee bar. Unfortunately, it seems everyone else in the city has the exact same bright idea and the establishment quickly fills up. The man hopelessly looks at the long waiting line. His expression gets even more hopeless when he peers into his watch.

"It's 3:00 already. The lecture starts in twenty minutes. I can't afford to wait any longer," he lowly grumbles to himself. As he steps out of the bar, he is almost pushed by another individual scurrying away from him.

"Watch it, buddy," yells the man but his complaints are deafened by a shrill scream.

"Stop him! Stop him! He stole my purse!"

The screams come from an elderly woman, sprawled on the concrete sidewalks. "Please help me. He stole my purse!"

The man quickly runs toward the woman and helps her to a nearby bench. "Are you hurt?"

The poor lady shakes head negating any injury. However, she starts shaking violently, trying to repress her tears in front of the stranger.

"Don't be afraid. I'm already calling the cops. Should I tell them to send paramedics as well?" asks the concerned man.

"No, no, I'm not hurt. It's just that I had my month's pension in that bag." With those words, she starts crying inconsolably. How he hates to see this woman like this! He secretly wishes he could catch the bastard, but he's no longer 25 years old; he can't run that far anymore. The only thing he can do is tend to her as the police officers arrive to write a report. As the elderly woman keeps rambling, the man's attention turns to a noise across the street. He suddenly sees a purple handbag floating in the air. "That's my bag!", yells the lady.

"Your bag! What is it doing there?!" asks the younger man. Without responding, the lady runs into the street, dragging the man with her. He was rather surprised that such a frail woman could haul him away like that.

As they reach the street, they observe an argument erupting between two individuals.

A tall man menacingly growls at a neatly dressed woman holding the stolen purse. "Hey lady, that's mine!"

"Correction, _was_ yours. And technically, it isn't yours. It was _purloined_!" retorts the brave woman.

The thief's expression changes from menacing to just plain confused. "_Purloined_? That's odd! I thought it was a Medici bag."

"By _purloined_, I meant stolen," calmly explains the woman as she studies the purse. Her chestnut eyes widen as she sees the label. "Ohh! It is a Medici! Florentina edition 327B in Piazza Plum! My favorite color."

Seeing an opportunity to reclaim his spoils, the thief lunges towards the woman. However, in her excitement, she doesn't notice his evil intents and innocently backhands him. To add to the rascal's misfortune, he lands straight into a ditch dug courtesy of Fair City's Department of Transportation.

"Serves him right! You good for nothing rascal!" yells the old woman with glee as she observes the thief groaning in the ditch.

The majority of the pedestrians were unaware of the heroic deed, except for the elderly woman and the man assisting her. She was about to thank the younger woman, but when she turned around, the heroine was gone. The only thing proving her existence was the fact that the purple purse was sitting smugly on a nearby bench.

"Where did she go?"

"I don't know. It seems as if she vanished into thin air," exclaims the man as he hands her the handbag.

"Don't tell me that. You're about 30 years younger than me. You're supposed to have better vision.", retorts the woman. He did have better vision, but he decides to keep his mouth shut.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm rather grateful for your assistance. Such a gallant fellow! God bless you!"

"It was nothing, ma'am. Any decent…" His modest remarks are interrupted as the older woman embraces him tightly. He typically wasn't a shy guy, but he could feel his face warming up as the commuters stare at them for this public display of affection. Fortunately, the police officers arrive to report the incident and the woman liberates him from her embrace.

As he grabs his trench coat to ward off the cool winds, he stares at his watch. "Oh great! I'm supposed to be at the university in five minutes.", he thinks as he scurries down Main Street.

His hurried pace slowly relaxes as he relives the past experience. He just can't stop thinking about the woman who returned the purse. Her reflexes were definitely abnormal. And her strength…how did she simply backhand the thief? She looks so familiar…her cocky smile, her dark ebony eyes.

Could it be her? It couldn't be, this heroine was probably in her mid-twenties. Then again, how many years had it been since they had met last? He hadn't seen her or heard of her in the past ten years. Could it be Wordgirl?

He sincerely wished he would have observed her features more carefully. However, he was running late to his meeting. Reflections on today's event would just have to wait.


	2. Chapter 2

The old mahogany clock at Purple Haven University silently shows the time to be 3:19 PM. A brunette briskly walks by, ignoring it completely, as her focus lies elsewhere. She seems to fly towards the building's auditorium. At the entrance, she meets a heavy-set woman wearing green retro glasses who sweetly asks her, "Are you here for Professor Boxleitner's lecture?"

The brunette assents with her head. "Yes. My name is Botsford, Rebecca."

The other woman scans the paperwork and finally finds her name. "Okay, Ms. Botsford. Here is your information packet. I know you'll enjoy the meeting. Professor Boxleitner's teaching is very"…She struggles to find a word. After a minute, she gives up and says, "I know there's a fancy word for it, but I can't remember it, to save my life. I want to say his teaching is not very traditional."

"Perhaps you want to say _unorthodox_?" suggests Rebecca.

The woman's eyes brighten at the sound of the word. "Yes, that's right. _Unorthodox_! But don't mind me. Go on before you're late".

Rebecca Botsford quickly obeys and enters the auditorium. She was disappointed at the sight as she was expecting a packed room. There must have been a handful of individuals sitting in different spots of the room as if someone had carelessly thrown a bunch of books onto a couch. "I suppose 'Ethics and Microbiology Shouldn't Mix' isn't everybody's cup of tea," thought Rebecca as she found a seat as far away from the front row. This specific course wasn't her cup of tea either, but she didn't have much of a choice. This lecture provided 20 valuable continuing education credits-the exact amount needed to retain her certification as a Physician's Assistant.

Apparently, the instructor was also running a couple of minutes late. Rebecca supposed that he wasn't excited to teach this class either. She just hoped the torture would be done before TJ's soccer match ended.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud holler emanating from a bald guy sitting two rows in front of her.

"Hey Steven! I was starting to worry about you. You're late!"

"Really?! Thanks for letting me know. I didn't hear the irritating chimes telling me it was 3:00 about half an hour ago." responds Steven as he quickly removes his jacket and fixes his tie.

The bald man continues with his inane rant. "I've got an important game to watch this evening. Fair City United against Hummingbirds. I don't want to be here all night."

"Neither do I.", calmly snaps Steven. "The faster you shut your mouth, the sooner we'll get out of here".

The sardonic response piques Rebecca's attention and she rapidly raises her eyes towards the speaker. The speaker happens to be none other than the man who aided the elderly woman earlier that afternoon.

"Oh snap!" thinks Ms. Botsford as she observes Professor Steven Boxleitner's intense gaze on her. "This meeting just got a little more interesting", he chuckles to himself at the irony of the situation. However, he remembers he is there to teach, not to stalk heroines. After apologizing to the class for his late arrival due to an "unforeseen emergency" (at this moment, he looks straight at Rebecca), Dr. Boxleitner starts his lecture on the pros and cons of ethics in the microbiological sciences.

As the meeting progresses, Rebecca slowly relaxes. The man obviously recognized her but why was she so worried about it? She hadn't done anything extraordinary. Any decent individual would have intervened in that situation if they could help. What if her reflexes were just a tad faster than most people? What if she was a little faster than Violet's cat? Maybe that was abnormal, but then again, it was an old cat. Even a snail would be faster than that lazy feline. There was nothing absolutely wrong about a person with super quick reflexes and apparently more strength than most men. Rebecca could only blame it on her genetic makeup or the heavily fortified meals she ate as a child.

Her reverie is shattered when she senses someone staring at her. The young brunette nonchalantly cocks her head to the side and meets a pair of dark brown eyes staring back.

Professor Boxleitner continues speaking without missing a beat. A slight blush appears on his face, embarrassed that the brunette had discovered his gaze. She confidently smiles, knowing that he won't dare to see her again. Now it's her turn to observe him. He seems like a smart dresser with his tailored dark suit and light green shirt. The color of the shirt and tie complements his skin complexion well. Her eyes slowly scan his facial features: square jaw, slightly Mediterranean nose, and an abundance of light brown hair. A slightly thin spot on the right side of his head snaked through his messy hair for about 3-4 centimeters. Rebecca reflects on the cause of this defect. She believes it's a scar from an accident or surgery. The more she stares at him, the more she begins to feel as if she has met him before. How could that be? She acknowledges that she received her Bachelor's degree at Purple Haven, but she doesn't remember having classes with him. Yet there is something in that face she finds hauntingly familiar. Somehow, she gets the uncanny feeling that the professor knows her as well.

The professor ends his lecture abruptly when he looks at the time. "I understand that you are just dying to see the Hummingbirds defeat Fair City," he says with a saucy smile. "So, I'll liberate you. You are free to go." You would have thought he had set a Komodo dragon loose because everyone was out of the room before he finished his last sentence. Everyone had left, including a dark haired lady he had been eyeing for the past 90 minutes.

The professor rapidly runs out of the auditorium and outside the building to see if he could catch a glimpse of her. Cold air viciously hits his face as he opens the door leading to the outdoors. Apparently, the weather was turning colder as the evening progressed. How could he have missed her again? He was definitely sure that this raven-haired woman and WordGirl were one and only. Just as he was Dr. Two-Brains, one of Fair City's former villainous masters.

"Is something wrong, professor?" helpfully asks the woman with the green glasses.

"Nothing's wrong, Miranda." The woman notices the professor's sad expression. There's obviously something wrong so Miranda decides to pry some information out of him. "Are you looking for someone?"

The man's expression lightens momentarily as he concocts a plan. "As a matter of fact, you might be able to assist me". A semi-malevolent smile flashes across his handsome features. "You don't happen to have the roster sheet for today's attendants, do you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Luminous stars carpet the midnight sky, providing tranquility to the majority of the citizens of Fair City. Sometimes, however, the night does the contrary: it blatantly conjures horrific visions of angst and destruction.

_It is pitch black outside and a dreadful cold chills me to the very marrow. Running through the park, my eyes scan the skies, waiting for something to appear. Suddenly, fire seems to burst forth from the darkness. Wind cruelly lashes my face as I speed towards the fireball. A hand strongly grips my arm, trying to stop me…a really hairy hand. Is that Bob? Why would a chimp appear out of nowhere?_

_It must be one of those lucid dreams. The primate chatters in its primeval tongue and yet I understand every single word. "Are you insane?" it tells me. "It's impossible to smash into that meteor and come out unscathed!"_

"_Our calculations were wrong and if I don't act now, that meteor will destroy the city!"_

_For Pete's sake, what is wrong with me?! How am I supposed to stop an asteroid? I guess I'll just stand in the middle of its path and allow the Grim Reaper to scoop me off._

_To my utter amazement, that is exactly what happens._

_Gas, rocks and light mingle together in a spectacular explosion as I attack it directly. After a deafening roar, all I can hear are screams, my screams._

Rebecca's screams finally wake her up from her fitful slumber. It was that same dream again. By now, she knows every noise, smell, nuance of that wretched sequence. What does it all mean?

The young woman's distracted mind won't allow her to sleep anytime soon. Therefore, she sticks her hand into a nearby cabinet and fishes out an old manila folder. Pages with wrinkled edges fall out of the folder as Rebecca curiously eyes them. She has read these papers so many times that she knows the information by heart. They relate to that awful accident she suffered ten years ago.

_A fifteen year-old female was brought to the Downtown Medical Center emergency department on December 2__nd__ at 1:53 AM via ambulance. She presents with multiple hematomas, fractures, hypothermia and hypovolemic shock._

_Vitals-88/54 Pulse-120 bpm Temp-97.8 (F) O2 Sat-90%_

Rebecca calmly reads the diagnoses: _concussion, right clavicular fracture, left radial open fracture, multiple_ _broken ribs, atelectasis, hypovolemic shock._ She keeps reading that she was in a coma for five days, that her recovery was labeled "miraculous" by the attending hospitalist and that her neurological function was "almost complete". The brunette closes her eyes as she reads that statement because she knows it is a blatant lie. It's true that she remembers her name, date of birth and remembers algebraic formulas. It's true that she can walk normally and that her brain commands her body to continue breathing and doing other vital functions. However, is it normal not to remember any past events prior to the accident?

_An alert fifteen year-old female is here for a neurological evaluation. She complains of memory loss. She states she doesn't remember events from the past three weeks. She suffered a severe concussion on December 1__st__. When asked, cannot answer date, month, or year we are in. She claims that she doesn't remember being in school, her friends or family members. Memory loss is so severe that she cannot recall father's death (which occurred six months ago, according to patient's mother). After answering these questions, patient became very agitated and irate. Lorazepam 0.25 mg SIG: 1 PO BID PRN given._

_At this time, a concluding diagnosis cannot be given as EEG and other screening tests are normal. Patient has been referred to Pediatric Neurology for further follow up on memory loss and to rule out dementia and/or fugue._

Dozens of neurological and psychological consults yielded no results. Ten years have elapsed since that accident and Rebecca's amnesia hasn't abated. Ten years later and she cannot remember her father's sweet face, her first day of school, her little brother's stupid antics, her first crush. Of course, her mother's tales and photo albums kept an accurate record of her childhood. And she was grateful for the new memories: senior prom, watching TJ win his first soccer cup with Fair City United, getting her Physician's Assistant diploma. However, she still feels empty. As if she had just come out of her mother's womb; with no knowledge of the world, of her own world. As if she had never existed before that fateful day of December 1st.

"So many evil occurrences happened on that same date", muses Rebecca as she flips the papers until she finds a newspaper clipping: "_Asteroid Strikes Fair City!" _says the first page as the article explains the damages: a couple of burnt buildings, at least 50 wounded with minor injuries, no mortalities among the 25,000 inhabitants.

A nagging thought pops into the woman's mind as she surveys the papers. Was her recurrent dream not really a dream but a _memory_? Was she actually injured by flying celestial debris? But somehow that didn't make any logical sense. First of all, why was she alive after such a tremendous impact? And if her dream was correct, what made her believe she could deter a meteor?

So many questions would make anyone extremely sleepy and Rebecca Botsford was no exception. She drifted back to sleep, sprawled among the wrinkled papers that held the key to her long-lost memories.

Thousands of miles away, a young man studiously scans the afternoon skies as he awaits his master's return. He casually turns his head as the sight of a green lizard catches his eyes.

"Hey Dojo! Did old man Fung tell you where he was going?" asks the man as the reptile scurries up to his neck.

"Nope. You know, between you and I, he's been a little secretive about the whole thing" answers Dojo. "He's been reading scrolls and calling colleagues and…" at this point, the reptile lowers his voice, "he's even been looking information on the Internet. So I know something huge is going on."

"Everyone in the temple knows _that_!" silently thinks the man as he scratches the back of his head. What he really needs to know is _what_ that important thing is. He was sure of one thing though: this event was definitely not a positive one. Master Fung had forbidden him to disclose any information to his fellow warriors about his secret meetings. A rather unnecessary command, as the younger man had absolutely no idea of what the meetings were about.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted by an impetuous command yelled across the courtyard. "Prepare for a most humiliating defeat, Chase Young!"

Chase Young, the biggest and baddest Heylin Lord? (I know "baddest" isn't the correct term. I suppose it is "most bad", but it just doesn't have the same ring to it). Anyways, what is he doing here? The man quickly runs towards the noise, prepared to defend the temple, when he sees a rather curious scene.

A group of three tunic clad teens surround a venerable senior and a tall man with jet black hair. One would suppose that the teens are part of a mischievous gang who want to rob and beat up the two men. And that the black-haired man has no possibility of beating them as he is greatly outnumbered. However, the arrogant smirk plastered on his face tells a different story.

"Unhand Master Fung, you misdeed!" orders a bald teen as he jumps towards Chase Young, trying to inflict a painful aerial kick.

Mr. Young simply grabs the boy by his ankles and brings him to eye level. "First of all, Omi, I have not kidnapped Master Fung. I am here for" he struggles to find a word, "for other purposes. Second of all, the correct word is _miscreant_, not misdeed. If you're going to insult the greatest Heylin Dragon ever to exist, make sure you use the right terminology". With those last words, he carelessly drops Omi on the earthen floor.

After watching the scene from the sidelines, the young man decides to intervene, considering he is the leader of the Xiaolin Dragons and one of his teammates just got his behind whooped. He asks the older gentleman, "Master Fung, What is the meaning of this?"

Master Fung, always calm and methodical, finally tells the monks that he invited the evil mastermind to discuss an important topic. He informs Mr. Young to follow him to his office and the three of the four monks decide to follow them as well. After discovering this, Master Fung tells them that they are not permitted to be there as it is a private meeting between Chase Young and him. When they leave crestfallen, the older man summons Dojo. "Please tell Raimundo that his presence is required at the meeting."

A couple of minutes later, Raimundo enters Master Fung's office. He finds Chase Young meditating with his eyes closed on a nearby cushion. "The arrogant smirk still present on his face", thinks Raimundo. The young monk's hands itch and tentatively close into fists. He really, really feels like punching that smirk from his enemy's face.

"I'm glad to see your left arm still functions, Pedrosa" says the Heylin Lord, still with his eyes closed. "I thought I had dislocated it at our last showdown."

Raimundo grips his left shoulder as he traces the scars from his last battle. Chase Young transformed into his Dragon form while they were battling and plunged his inch-long claws into his shoulder. Raimundo had never felt such excruciating pain! The showdown had occurred three weeks ago and his arm was still throbbing. However, Raimundo simply lies: "Just a couple of scars. No biggie. But I suppose you're not here to discuss my health."

"Not at all, Raimundo", responds Master Fung. "We are here to discuss a celestial phenomenon that could possibly signal the end of human civilization as we know it." This statement definitely captures the attention of both Raimundo and Chase Young. Aware that both men are intently listening to him now, Master Fung continues his speech.

"The country's meteorological services have detected an asteroid approaching Earth at an astonishing speed. It is estimated that it will land in the vicinity of Beijing or Jixian, depending on how you want to name the city." With these words, Master Fung looks straight at Chase.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"If my memory serves me right, you were mildly offended when I referred to Byzantium as Constantinople and as Istanbul a couple of years ago. Anyways, if the meteor lands in Beijing, it will not only cause innumerable deaths in the area but it might actually spread destruction to half the continent."

Chase Young savors the last piece of information in his twisted mind. Destruction and death? Perhaps this meteor isn't such a bad thing after all. He keeps his comment to himself though. These Xiaolin wusses are extremely sensitive and he doesn't wish to hurt their feelings just yet.

Raimundo's frown shows his frustration with Master Fung's report. Why would a single asteroid falling in a localized area cause havoc in other countries? And why did he consider necessary to inform Chase Young, one of their most dangerous enemies, about it?

At this point, the older man opens a laptop and shows them meteorological reports, graphs, and charts projecting all the possibilities. He clicks an icon on the screen and a new box appears. "The worst scenario shows that the meteor will create a huge crater that may cause irreparable damage to the tectonic plates. It might reach the center of the earth". Master Fung says these words as the screen's fictional city and almost the entire continent disappear with the impact. Then, all men observe how the tectonic plates implode on themselves, allowing deep magma to emerge to the surface. "This meteor can signify the beginning of 962 years of darkness." Considering this event could virtually destroy earth and its inhabitants, Raimundo believes the darkness might last a couple of millennia, not only 962 years. He just wryly comments while he looks Chase Young straight in the eye, "I suppose those are wonderful news for you, aren't they?"

Chase's amber eyes immediately light up in anger. "How am I supposed to take over the world if there is nothing left to conquer?" Then, he adds, "You did a favor by renouncing the Heylin side, Pedrosa. We already have enough fools in our team. We don't need another one."

Raimundo's boiling anger gets the better of him as he menacingly approaches Chase Young. The Dark Lord knowingly provokes him even more. "You want me to dislocate your other shoulder too?" He starts laughing wickedly, admiring his own brilliant wit.

Raimundo really, really, really wants to punch that arrogant smirk off of Chase's face. And that is exactly what he does.

Next thing he knows, Chase's beautiful smirk is decorated with a bloody smudge and a nasty bruise as he lies sprawled on the floor. He silently wipes the blood off his face and slowly gets up, staring daggers at Raimundo. "You'll pay for this, you son…"

Master Fung gets in between the two fighting males. "Gentlemen, please. We do not have time to waste on your trivial rivalries. Both Xiaolin and Heylin sides need to cooperate to tackle this problem. The future of earth depends on our ability to work together. Do you understand the seriousness of the situation?"

"Yes sir" lowly responds Raimundo. Chase manages to shake his head in agreement.

"Very well, then. What were we talking about before our interruption?" Master Fung scratches his bald head for a moment, trying to retrieve his memory. He snaps his fingers as he says, "Yes. I remember. I wish to inform you that I intend to recruit the help of another individual. That same individual faced a meteor that threatened to destroy her adoptive city about ten years ago. We need her expertise to determine how to destroy this asteroid."

Someone had actually liquidated a meteor? And it was a woman? Both Raimundo and Chase were trying to wrap their brains around this juicy information. Raimundo was concentrating on the first question while Chase found the second question more interesting. What kind of woman was capable of these powerful feats? A strong, intelligent, and confident woman. Chase Young's boredom had initially induced him to meet with Master Fung this afternoon. However, his curiosity was piqued by the mention of this new intriguing character.

"What's her name, Master Fung? Do we already know her?"

The individual asking this question was none other than Dojo, the 1.5 foot tall resident Dragon. Raimundo quickly reprimands him, asking "How long have you been snooping around here?"

Before Dojo can respond, Master Fung states, "He's been eavesdropping on our conversation for the past 10 minutes…along with the rest of the monks." He rapidly opens the door, revealing Omi, Clay, a blonde haired guy wearing a cowboy hat, and Kimiko, the sole female of the group. They are stunned to discover that their deception has been detected. Raimundo just chuckles to himself as he observes his embarrassed comrades. "That old fox! Nothing gets past him, does it?"

However, Kimiko quickly puts on her best smile and says "But Master Fung, you won't have to explain yourself again since we already heard you the first time!"

"Valid point. I'll let you slide this time, Dragon of Fire." Master Fung then observes that all four Xiaolin Dragons, Chase Young and Dojo are intently looking at him as if waiting on something.

Of course! They are waiting for him to respond to Dojo's question. He turns his attention to the Xiaolin group leader and tells him: "Well, Raimundo, I need you to locate this individual. Her name is Becky Botsford."

The older man notices that the name doesn't ring a bell. "Her civilian identity is Becky Botsford. She is most commonly known as WordGirl." Master Fung's stoic demeanor changes into a sincere smile as he sees everyone's excited expressions. They know very well who WordGirl is. Hopefully, this information will motivate them even more to get her to join the team. If they are unsuccessful, the world will just have to live in perpetual darkness for the next 962 years.


	4. Chapter 4

Meanwhile, The-Girl-Who-Crashed-Into-an-Asteroid-and-Lived (But-Still-Doesn't-Know-About It-Yet), sleeps placidly in the solitude of her downtown loft. However, the sun's warming rays creep through the window treatments and illuminate her bedroom with unwanted brilliance. The young woman lazily opens one of her eyes and peeks at the bright green digits on her alarm clock: 12:57 PM.

"Good thing today is a Saturday or my boss would be blowing up the phone", thinks Rebecca as she notices the hour. She quickly glances at the phone lying on the nearby cabinet and discovers that there are three unread text messages, all sent by the same obnoxious user.

_Dec 27-9:17 PM- Hey Becky! Don't forget! Lunch date tomorrow 12. Rabato restaurant. Luv, Violet_

_Dec 28-12:30 PM- Becky, Where R U?! I've been waiting Rabato X 15 mins._

_Dec 28-12:46 PM- Y R U ignoring me? I'm not ROFL. _

Rebecca mentally curses as she reads the texts. She had completely forgotten about having lunch with Violet, her childhood friend. Her fingers fire away at her phone as she responds to Violet's texts.

_Dec 28-12:59 PM- Violet, please forgive me. I just woke up a second ago. Meet you in 15 mins. Hope your large intestine hasn't devoured the smaller one yet. BB_

Fourteen minutes and twenty-three seconds later, an attractive brunette wearing a burgundy pea coat and warm sweater dress arrives at Rabato, a casual neighborhood restaurant. She instantly walks up to the bar as she sees a woman with golden hair waving her hand at her. She also observes a tall gentleman sitting next to the blonde and realizes that it is Lee "Scoops" Ming, another of her friends and Violet's current boyfriend.

"I'm impressed. You did make it here in fifteen minutes. I should have brought my chronometer", cheekily says the man as he looks at Rebecca.

After profusely apologizing to her best friend regarding her tardiness, Rebecca now focuses on the only male of the trio. "Well, Scoops, I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised. I wasn't aware that you were also having lunch with us."

"Neither was I. But Violet _insisted_ that I be here," Scoops says, with exaggerated emphasis. "You know, I wish not to interrupt the beautiful quality time both of you have together…" The man decides to become mute at this moment, either because his conscience chastises him or because Violet surreptitiously kicks him in the shin.

Meanwhile, Violet interrupts the conversation as she gently embraces the man she had just abused three seconds ago. "Well, Becky, considering you are our best friend, we thought we needed to tell you something first."

Rebecca notices a beautiful spark in Violet's blue eyes as she timidly looks at Scoops. Then, she observes an even brighter light emanating from the blonde's left finger.

The brunette's eyes widen in surprise as she blurts out, "You're engaged!"

"For goodness' sake's, Becky! You were supposed to wait for Violet to say all the fluffy romantic stuff", playfully groans Scoops as he returns Rebecca's sincere embrace. After a couple of more hugs and warm congratulations, the future Mrs. Ming narrates the long winded story of the proposal to an attentive Rebecca and a slightly bored Scoops. Fortunately for the man, his fiancée decides to use the restroom and puts a hiatus on the story. Seeing that Scoops isn't extremely excited about the current topic, Rebecca decides to ask him about his job as a reporter for the Fair City Times.

Scoops enthusiastically informs her that he is now an assistant editor for the paper. He keeps going on about his promotion when he suddenly remembers something. "The paper received a letter to be published on the advertisements page. And I want to show it to you. You might find it interesting." With those words, he pulls out his PDA and shows her the letter.

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_This missive is to inform you of a curious event that __**w**__ill __**o**__ccu__**r**__ on January 15__th__. A superbly intelligent, __**d**__ashin__**g**__ ev__**i**__l maste__**r**__mind wi__**l**__l steal all of Fair City's cheese supplies. If y__**o**__u wish to eve__**r**__ see your delicious bac__**t**__eria-laden cultures again, you will not, I repeat, will not inform the incompetent Fair City Police Department. I assure that if you stupidly ignore my warning, the police will not pay you any sort of attention as t__**h**__ey will be t__**o**__o busy munchin__**g**__ on thei__**r**__ duffins. __**A**__nywho, I am going off tangent or off topic. As I do not wish to harm your already __**p**__at__**h**__etic excuses of neurons, I will gladl__**y**__ cont__**i**__nue with my dangerou__**s**__ missive. When the sun dies __**o**__n January 15__th__ and the e__**ve**__ning winds chill your __**r**__usting bones and you can hea__**r**__ the r__**a**__pid hear__**t**__b__**e**__at of your cholesterol-cripple__**d**__ heart, I will conquer Fair City, one sharp che__**d**__da__**r**__ at a __**t**__ime._

_**B**__on Ami-Beware the Ides of January._

Scoops waits anxiously as the woman continues to read the curious letter. He sees her upper lip start twitching as she is trying to repress a smile. When she reads "one sharp cheddar at a time", she produces a loud snort as she completely loses her self-control.

When Violet finally gets out of the ladies' room, she hears laughter coming from the bar area. She recognizes that distinctive laugh anywhere. As she approaches the table, she sees Rebecca is laughing so hard that she is on the verge of tears.

"Oh dear. Scoops, did you show her that ridiculous letter?" Scoops merely nods as he explains: "Hey, I knew Becky would just get a kick out of that." And he secretly admits to himself that he gets a kick out of making Becky laugh as well.

When Rebecca finally winds down, Scoops continues the conversation. "I suppose this is just a Day of the Innocents prank. But have you noticed the underlined and bolded letters?"

Rebecca's hawk-like eyes observes the letter again with curiosity. "It might be a secret message. Have you decoded it?" she asks the reporter.

"There was nothing to decode. The writer didn't even try to scramble the letters. See." Scoops points to the letters as Rebecca writes them on a napkin. The final message reads: **Wordgirl orthography is overrated drtb.**

"It is a direct message and it's for WordGirl!" excitedly exclaims Violet at the recent discovery.

"How interesting! But who exactly is this WordGirl?" sincerely asks Rebecca. Scoops gives his friend such a shocked look that one would have thought the woman had grown a second head right in front of his eyes.

"Where have you been? How can you not know about Fair City's greatest superhero?"

Violet gently interrupts her fiancé by telling Rebecca, "WordGirl lived here years ago, before your accident." At that moment, Scoops remembers Becky's memory loss and feels a little bit ashamed. How could he forget about that? He tries to atone himself by explaining the message. "WordGirl had a killer vocabulary, so she would be extremely offended by these words."

Rebecca gleans over the message: **Orthography is overrated**.

"In other words, he's trying to say correct spelling, grammar, etc. isn't important. He's trying to elicit a furious response from her." This smart answer didn't come from the expert reporter, but from Rebecca Botsford herself. After a couple of seconds, she asks Scoops if he has a suspicion on the identity of the letter's writer.

"With the mention of stealing cheese and the final initials **drtb, **I can infer it can only be Dr. Two-Brains." Scoops then follows up with a question. "By the way, why did you think the writer was a man?"

Considering the conceited remarks regarding intellectual superiority, snarky humor and the taunting secretive message to WordGirl, how could it not be man? Rebecca, however, keeps this information to herself. She just gives Scoops a mischievous smile as she states, "I merely guessed. There was a 50/50 chance that I would be right."

After sharing another laugh or two, Violet invites her best friend to another event that will be occurring that same day. She informs Rebecca that she and Scoops will host an engagement party at the city's planetarium. "Don't tell anyone that we're engaged!" warns the blond woman. "They'll think they are there only to see the upcoming meteor shower."


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't believe you wheedled me into coming here!" grumpily whispers TJ to his older sister as they arrive to the city's planetarium. Rebecca ignores his tantrums while he continues his speech. "Counting stars and gaping at the sky aren't my hobbies. Can't say the same about other geeks I know, though."

The only response he gets from his sister is a slight slap on his shoulder. "Stop being such a curmudgeon! Everyone needs a little distraction once in a while."

"Curmud-pigeon, my foot! Why can't you just speak in plain English?"

"Perhaps I should dilute my meaning for the benefit of your comprehension. Stop being such a misanthrope!"

TJ just grumbles to himself something about a "smart-ass" and Rebecca can't help but start laughing about her little brother's discomfort. "I know you'd rather be somewhere else. But this meeting is really, really important for Violet and Scoops." Trying to assuage TJ's feelings, she adds, "Besides, you look handsome with your suit and tie."

After pondering for a couple of seconds, TJ smiles and says, "So Scoops finally decided to settle down with Violet, then? About time." He then adds, "For a while there, I wasn't sure whether he had picked Violet or you to be the unlucky gal."

Rebecca just stares at her brother regarding his comment. "Wait up, you thought Scoops had a crush on me?"

"He never asked you out?"

"No. I don't remember him asking me out. Besides, we've been friends since grade school. If we were going to click, it would have happened by now", sincerely answers the brunette.

TJ curiously looks at his sister, as if he wants to tell her something else. However, he just waves his thoughts away and simply agrees with Rebecca. "I guess you're right."

"I'm always right, lil bro."

"No wonder you're such an insufferable smart-ass."

Both siblings erupt in laughter and attract the attention of the other guests. They also attract the attention of one of the hosts. The host observes TJ's tailored dark suit and expensive hand watch. "I suppose I'd have one of those too if I just kicked a ball around a field for 90 minutes" he mutters to himself as he drinks some scotch. Then, his gaze lingers on the guest's sister still standing by his side. He observes that her hair is not imprisoned in a bun or a ponytail. Her raven curls, feeling liberated, fall in waves around her face. She has a good-looking face, but her features brighten instantly as her lips curl to offer a stunning smile. And her laugh, her gentle voice, her slightly curve-hugging gown…What is he thinking? The man drowns his petty thoughts with more hard liquor. Why can't he have those same thoughts for Violet? He is going to marry her, after all. His reverie is shattered when he notices TJ's rather unfriendly glare. Good thing he's still drinking his scotch as he empties his glass and merely nods to acknowledge TJ's presence.

Meanwhile, Rebecca leaves TJ in the company of other soccer fanatics, hoping that he won't get extremely bored with their chatter. She searches for Violet, but is informed by another guest that the woman still hasn't arrived to the gathering. After chatting with the other folk for about half an hour, the brunette is a little exhausted. She wasn't expecting to get so easily bored with the trivial conversations. To frighten her boredom away, she decides to have a peek at the telescopes, located in a secluded area of the planetarium.

While she tries to focus a lens, a masculine voice quietly tells her "You won't see anything yet. The meteor shower should begin in about fifteen minutes." The man observes Rebecca's muscles tense up but she doesn't even turn around to see him, for she recognizes his voice.

Rebecca is still tinkering with the telescope when she says, "Don't do that, Scoops. You almost gave me a heart attack. I swear that you're as stealthy as a cat."

"What a pity! I appreciate the compliment but…Can you compare me with anything else other than a cat? I absolutely abhor the creatures!"

A playful frown forms on Rebecca's face but she still refuses to turn around to see her friend. "What will Violet say when she discovers this unsavory piece of information? If her cat disappears in mysterious circumstances, I will have no option than to accuse you of harming it."

"Oh Rebecca, there are many things Violet still needs to discover", Scoops whispers right next to the woman's ear. She suddenly turns around, frightened by the proximity of his voice and touch. He is so close that she is able to smell a mixture of aftershave and scotch.

Did he just call me _Rebecca_? And why is he smelling my hair? The woman's thoughts are all over the place as she feels his arms securing her waist. Sensing that his friend is at a loss, Scoops continues his monologue.

"There are many things she doesn't know about me. She doesn't know that I hate the color blue. It reminds me of stupid romanticism, of nauseating optimism, of dimwitted dreams. The sky is blue, so the sky's the limit! Every time I look into her eyes, they scream all of those stupid things!"

Observing an opportunity, Rebecca frees herself from his forceful embrace while trying to remain calm. "Scoops, you've had too many drinks. We shouldn't be having this conversation."

The man nonchalantly walks towards the door, effectively foiling Rebecca's escape. "You make it seem like having too many drinks is a bad thing. That's not true. It actually has cleared me up a bit." He boldly looks her straight in the eye and asks her "Do you want to know what I see when I look into your eyes?"

Rebecca simply hisses "I don't give a damn. Get out of my way!"

Scoops utters a roguish laugh as he continues to block the doorway. "That's what I see every single time I look at your eyes! There are two burning coals, full of zest and yet full of angst. There's no romantic fluff; there's practicality and pragmatism." By this point, the man is inching closer to Rebecca. "I don't need a dreamer. I need someone down-to-earth. Becky, please listen to me. Don't you know that I've always loved you? Don't you remember my kisses?" He clearly sees Rebecca's astonished face but he doesn't care. He just feels like tasting her lips and drinking her in.

Unfortunately for him, the woman does wish to taste his lips in a rather violent fashion. Somehow, Rebecca manages to grab him by the collar and virtually flings him across the room. He ends up falling on top of one of the telescopes and simply thinks "Where did she learn that?"

"You duplicitous excuse of a man! Don't you dare touch me!"

"Becky, why can't you remember anything?!" Scoops desperately screams as he tries to reach Rebecca again. "I thought something as important as…as our relationship would be ingrained in your brain. That you would always remember it." He bitterly adds, "If it weren't for that stupid accident, you would be my…"

Explosive rage fills Rebecca entirely as she tries very hard not to yell at the top of her lungs. "Listen to yourself, Lee! Don't you see how pathetic you sound! Moping over the past; over something that will never happen." Rebecca finally succumbs to her anger as tears stream her face. Without a word, she runs out of the room and heads outside through a back door.

Frigid air chills Rebecca's bones but she pays no attention to it as she runs outdoors towards the nearby park. Her mind is traveling almost as fast as her feet, whirling uncomfortably from all these new revelations. "For a while there, I wasn't sure whether he had picked Violet or you to be the unlucky gal." "Oh Rebecca, there are many things Violet still needs to discover." "Don't you know that I've always loved you? Don't you remember my kisses?" "Why can't you remember anything?!" "If it weren't for that stupid accident."

If it weren't for that stupid accident…those last words fiercely echo in her head. The woman finally starts to slow down as she walks deeper and deeper into the park. The logical part of her brain begs her to go back to the planetarium before TJ and the others start to worry. However, by this time, she reaches a clear landing in the middle of the park. She is enthralled by it as she senses a déjà vu moment. As she strolls towards it, she looks up at the beautiful sky and observes thousands of specks fly away. The meteor shower has begun. And then, everything starts making sense.

_Running through the park, my eyes scan the skies, waiting for something to appear. Suddenly, fire seems to burst forth from the darkness. […] Gas, rocks and light mingle together in a spectacular explosion as I attack it directly. After a deafening roar, all I can hear are screams, my screams._

Why can't you remember anything?! How mistaken you are, my friend. For now I remember everything.

Those were Rebecca's last thoughts as she dizzily faints and collapses on the cold hard ground.


	6. Chapter 6

The brunette finally awakens to the sounds of a persistent cardiac monitor. After staring at the plain ceiling and at the IV ports poking her right hand, she correctly infers that she is in a hospital room. As she turns her head to her left, she observes her little brother, sleeping like an angel, on a comfy chair. As soon as a faint snore reaches his lips, TJ violently wakes up. He has always been a light sleeper.

His eyes widen as he notices that his sister is conscious at last. "Becky! I'm so glad you're okay! How are you feeling?"

To be completely honest, her head feels like it's about to explode, almost as if the doctors had performed a lumbar puncture on her. But she doesn't wish to frighten her sibling so she tells him everything is fine. After making sure that the woman is actually feeling better, he runs off to inform the nurses that the patient has recovered consciousness.

Two days later, after innumerable tests and neurological evaluations, the attending physician agrees that Rebecca can be discharged from the hospital. In those forty-eight hours, the woman learns that she was in a coma for three days, that TJ had to wring the truth out of Scoops to find out what had happened (she doesn't wish to go into details) and that Violet had broken off her engagement to the before mentioned gentleman. Oh, and that she happens to be WordGirl, Fair City's grammatically correct crime-fighter. Who would have thought that one could learn so much in so little time?

As WordGirl is rediscovering her dual identity, another man, who already knows Becky Botsford and WordGirl are the same person, desperately searches for her in Fair City's tiny streets. His furrowed brows and green eyes betray his internal worries as he strolls around downtown. "So, the chick who's supposed to help us save the world is stuck in a hospital", mumbles the man, apparently to himself. However, he is actually holding a conversation with another individual. It just happens to be a green dragon that's hiding in the warmth of the man's coat. "We've got only three weeks left to tackle the meteor. I've already wasted a whole week looking for her. And now they tell me she's in a coma."

"What can you do, Raimundo?" answers the green reptile as he slithers out of the man's coat. "Circumstances beyond our control thwarted this plan. But, hey, you know Master Fung always has a Plan B."

Raimundo's green eyes light with sarcasm when he observes his friend's attempt to cheer him up. "Plan B: use Tiger Claws to send the meteor into another dimension? Or even better, he can have you swallow the meteor in that big belly of yours."

Dojo scoffs at the man's remarks and is about to reply with some witticism. However, he never replies as he curiously stares at a thrift store's shop window. He seems to be mesmerized by a pair of black and dark red goggles. Raimundo notices the dragon's fascination with the goggles and ventures to ask him about it.

"They just look eerily familiar. I just can't remember where I've seen them before." Dojo contemplates the pair of glasses one more time but can't remember a thing, so he decides to move on. As the dragon's curiosity abates, both Raimundo and Dojo decide it is time to head back to the temple. The leader of the Xiaolin Dragons will just have to inform Master Fung to proceed with Plan B, (if there is one). With those last thoughts, he takes out his Tiger Claws and travels back home.

WgWgWgWg

As Rebecca enters a deep slumber in her own bedroom, dozens of memories flood her synapses. I suppose three days in a coma are enough to reboot a Lexiconian brain. She is now longer overwhelmed with the endless onslaught of information. Her raw brain absorbs all the wonderful and cruel memories of her past, making her relive the experiences all over again. And then there is a memory that not only confuses her but curiously gnaws part of her heart.

_It is one of those hot and humid days of mid-summer. There I am, wearing a soft pink dress and two-inch heels. Oh, that's right, I'm graduating from 8__th__ grade. I've got my black cap and gown and I see my father's proud face. He's hugging me, congratulating me for my achievements. I don't know why he's doing it. After all, I am only the salutatorian. That good-for-nothing Tobey McAllister, the III, mind you, always remember the III, sabotaged my science project and I ended up with a C on my final exam. I'll remember that next time I face one of his pathetic excuses of robots._

_While my parents are excited and what not, I hear the distressed voice of the owner of Ye Olde Fancy Schmancy Jewelry Store. My super acute sense of hearing focuses on Reginald's snobby voice, "I rebuke my own remark! I am an open-minded man. I will allow you to pay with your pre-paid card! Just don't vandalize my establishment!" Serves him right! I never thought Reginald would dismiss a client who couldn't pay with a Bermuda Triangle Express credit card._

_But as law-abiding and crime-fighting WordGirl, I have no choice but to defend Reginald from a possible criminal act. Therefore, I escape along with my best and hairiest friend, Captain HuggyFace to face our next threat. I wished I hadn't gone there at all!_

_Ye Olde Fancy Schmancy store should be renamed Ye Olde and Stinky shop as its front windows oozed with a gross, yellowish substance. I cautiously approached the shop and didn't notice Huggy stuffing his face with the unidentified substance. "Good grief, Huggy! You're going to poison yourself one of these days!"_

_The primate quickly informed me the substance was harmless as it was only store-brand cheese. Of course, Dr. Two-Brains just had to concoct an evil plan on my graduation day. And he wouldn't waste gourmet cheese on this silly prank. I can just see him nibbling on a piece of Isle of Man Cheddar with a nice glass of Chianti as he observes his work._

"_Well, well, WordGirl. I'm surprised you even know how to pronounce Chianti. Aren't you a wee bit too young to know about alcohol?"_

_How embarrassing! The rat head heard me! As I turn around to face him, he's got an amused grin on his face. I still don't know what's so funny until I see my own reflection on a window that wasn't tainted with that awful cheese. To my shock, I observe my pretty and obnoxious graduation cap still on my head. I rapidly throw the cap away and berate Captain HuggyFace. Why didn't he tell me I was still wearing my cap? The rotten monkey tells me he thought it was a fashion statement. I was about to strangle him for embarrassing me in front of my nemesis when I saw Dr. Two-Brains reach down and grab the discarded cap._

"_You manage to fight crime and not flunk any of your classes. I'm rather impressed, WordGirl."_

_I don't understand why my cheeks are turning as red as my suit. I do not need nor desire rat head's encouragement. Then again, this man graduated college at the age of seventeen and he's one of the most brilliant persons I have ever met. To be completely honest, it feels great that such an intelligent man is impressed with my achievements. However, in order to abate my awkward feelings, I blandly ask him, "Why did you attack the store? Were you upset with Reginald?"_

_Dr. Two-Brains annoyingly clears his throat a couple of times before answering. "Well…you see…I was interested in buying a gift for a frie…an acquaintance…I mean. I asked him nicely", here he emphasizes the word 'nicely', "for the price. Guess what the snob told me?"_

_Out of nowhere, the evil genius pulls out a monocle, a fake mustache and imitates Reginald's tone of voice. "I won't bother telling you how much it costs because I doubt you can afford it! Besides, we only accept Bermuda Triangle Express, Liege Card, and cashier's checks." He quickly swoops down to my face and drawls out one last phrase: "No exceptions!" Then, he haughtily turns his head up and walks away._

_I just started laughing about the silliness of the situation. Dr. Two-Brains hadn't vandalized the place to steal money or jewels. He had acted to soothe his bruised ego. Captain HuggyFace kept ordering me to stop laughing as I was letting my guard down. "I thought I would never see the day when the villainous Dr. Two-Brains couldn't acquire a Platinum Liege Card" was my only response after the laughter subsided._

_The man's red eyes squinted as he heard the caustic remark. He muttered something about 'low credit score' and 'owing money on a cheese ray machine'. I suppose he's talking about the abomination I destroyed a couple of months earlier. However, to assuage his hurt feelings, I quickly flew towards him with a repented face. "Reginald can be such a tactless snob! You shouldn't pay attention to his inane comments. Besides, you can go to a different jewelry store and get your gift, right? He doesn't deserve your business after the unjust way he treated you."_

_Dr. Two-Brains stood quietly for a couple of seconds as he looked at me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking but he finally gave me a thin smile. "I suppose I overreacted." He sighs a bit as he stares at his dirty work. "Guess I'll clean it up now. I promise you I will not leave a speck of dirt on the window panes. If the work isn't quite up to your standards, you know where to find me." To my surprise, he starts removing his white lab coat and I observe him grabbing a handful of cleaning supplies littered in a bucket. Indeed, he was cleaning up the shop. I was starting to think that perhaps the villain would sincerely repent of his ways. However, he ruined the moment by saying, "You can go away now WordGirl. Considering I messed up your special day, I won't threaten to turn you into Mozzarella. That can wait another day!"_

_I thought vandalizing Ye Olde Fancy Schmancy Jewelry Store was dastardly enough but I kept my comments to myself. As I was getting ready to fly away, the man yelled after me, "Hey WordGirl, aren't you forgetting something?"_

_And there he is, flailing my graduation cap as if he was flagging down a cab. After thanking him and muttering a few warnings about future criminal acts, Captain HuggyFace and I returned to my graduation festivities._

_Nobody had noticed our absence so I went up to my bedroom to rapidly change clothes. When I placed the cap on my head again, I felt a hard edge hurt my scalp. As I removed the cap to examine it, I noticed a small cerulean box inside it. How curious! At closer inspection, I noticed the box was actually from Reginald's shop. I cautiously held the mysterious object to my ear but didn't hear any ominous ticking noises. My hairy comrade begged me to take the box outside the house. To be on the safe side, we traveled to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. After placing the box carefully on the ground, I grabbed a long and slim TV antenna to open it from a safe distance. A few prayers and sincere goodbyes later, I managed to open the cursed thing. I was rather upset that we didn't see any explosions or poisonous gases. The only thing I heard was Huggy's astonished ohhs and ahhs as we discovered the item inside the box._

_It was the most beautiful necklace I had ever seen! It was a simple piece; a reddish brown piece of amber suspended by a thin leather chain. My eyes observed that a poor bee had been trapped in the substance as the amber hardened. Its world had disappeared thousands of years ago, but the bee's details were preserved forever in the amber. I was still entranced by the necklace when Huggy urged me to read a note included with the gift._

_**This is for a pretty smart girl who doesn't know any better than to foil my plans. Hope high school will be a blast. You'll be so busy you won't have time to pursue extracurricular activities (e.g. bothering a man just trying to eat cheese). Congratulations on your graduation day!**_

_**P.S. I won't go easy on you next time!**_

_I couldn't believe my eyes! Dr. Two-Brains bought me a gift? And this gift was the reason he attacked Reginald's shop? And why was I stupid enough to still hold on to it? I had received it from a supervillain, after all. After numerous x-rays and scans, the results yielded that the amber was really amber and that the bee was actually a bee, not an intricate bugging device. He bought me a necklace without an ulterior motive? What a naïve fourteen year-old I am!_

_Next thing I know, I'm back at the store, embracing the man in a bear hug and lightly pecking his cheek. "I appreciate your gratefulness, but there is no need to squeeze me to death!" says Dr. Two-Brains as he awkwardly tries to avoid hugging me back. I notice his cheeks turn a slight pink. He is a rather young fellow; must be in his mid-twenties. Two window-panes were still very dirty, so I rapidly proceed to wash them. He tries to stop me from helping him. But how could I not help him? Since the amber necklace was the apple of discord, I felt like I needed to help him. After finishing the job, the man flashes a smile and says, "If you're so eager to help, I've got a whole load of dishes in the sink."_

_I simply flash a smile of my own as I fly towards the sky. "Nice try, Dr. Two-Brains. I'm not that grateful!"_

Rebecca rapidly wakes up at the end of this particular memory. To think that their friendship (or their relationship, for lack of a better word) would end so suddenly after such good memories was rather surprising. She acknowledges that her high school freshman year was rather hectic. In addition to taking honors-level classes, she had started dating Scoops. She had discovered the hard way that she couldn't balance school and life along with her vigilante activities. Then, things spiraled out of control. Her father died in a horrible automobile accident the next summer and six months later, an asteroid decided to impact Fair City. It was no wonder that she had neglected the rat head.

However, Dr. Two-Brains wasn't the same man he was ten years ago. He hadn't been involved in any criminal activity since then. As Rebecca clearly remembers from attending his lecture a couple of months ago, he had even had the parasitic mouse brain surgically removed. But if he was a reformed man, why did he send that rambling letter to Scoops' paper? Is he trying to get WordGirl's attention, my attention? Rebecca closes her eyes, trying to focus on a logical explanation. "Dr. Two-Brains is a smart man; he probably deduced my identity when I recovered that lady's handbag. He wants to see me again, but why?"

The Ides of January were still thirteen days away. The usually methodical brunette impetuously decides she can't wait that long to see her nemesis again. "I guess I'll just have to ask Professor Boxleitner why he's so eager to see me."


	7. Chapter 7

Professor Steven Boxleitner, Director of Purple Haven's University Science Department and former villain, is not pleased. Most of the students enrolled in his Microbiology classes are apparently neuron-challenged, but one of them in particular irks him to death. That particular student has written a 20-page essay on the negligible IQ difference of a cucumber and dark chocolate. In reality, it's only one written page with nineteen pages of diagrams, doodles and pictures. What did he ever do in his life to deserve this torture?

That might explain why he's become obsessed…no, obsessed is such a strong word…why he's become deeply interested in finding WordGirl again. After hours of research, he is still unable to deduce her real identity. He obtained the list of people who had attended his lecture but unfortunately, half of the class had been women. The professor had even accessed the university's database to compare the names with ID pictures. He had seen blondes, redheads, even electric blue heads, but no familiar brunette. In a lapse of good judgment and a lot of desperation, he wrote that incendiary letter to Fair City's Daily News. "When WordGirl reads that letter, she will be so upset and riled up that she won't have a choice than to confront me on January 15th". He just hopes the heroine won't snitch and send the cops after him.

Who is he trying to fool? What makes him think WordGirl would desire to see him again? The girl hasn't visited him in the past ten years. He blurrily remembers the last time he saw her. Perhaps she was just a little peeved at him for messing up his probation. Or maybe she was just going through an extremely uncomfortable adolescence. He can still visualize the sullen look on the girl's face when she discovered the truth. He saw the disappointment in her coal-like eyes. "But you promised you wouldn't do it again." She simply spoke those words and left his life, seemingly forever.

He had expected her to show up at jail when he was serving his 18 month term. But she never showed up. He waited for her ten long years. And yet, WordGirl still manages to ignore him. Is she still upset with him? Why can't she forgive him after all these years? And why does he care? The man rapidly exits his office and goes directly to his workshop, located on the top floor of the university's science building. He needs to clear his mind from all of these distracting thoughts.

Meanwhile, a raven-haired woman walks into Purple Haven University's campus. She carefully scans the shabby, slightly dilapidated buildings and finally finds the one she is searching for. Green ivy envelops half of the science building but she discovers a back entrance beneath the growing foliage. When she reaches Professor Boxleitner's office, she finds a handwritten note taped to the door. She instantly recognizes the professor's untidy hieroglyphics.

_I'm upstairs at the workshop._

_S. Boxleitner_

"Succinct and to the point. Never thought Dr. Two-Brains was capable of it", silently thinks the woman as she smirks at the note. It was probably directed to the delivery folks or one of his coworkers.

After deliberating with herself a couple of minutes, the woman decides to walk to the top floor. Once she reaches it, she notices that the door to the workshop has been left slightly ajar. Trying not to make any unnecessary noises, she decides to fly towards the door. She is pleasantly surprised to discover that she can fly as gracefully as she did ten years ago. The woman timidly pokes her head inside the room and finds Professor Boxleitner deeply engrossed in his work. He's trying to fix a contraption that suspiciously resembles a cheese ray machine. Completely unaware of the stranger's presence, the man grabs a wrench to secure some bolts. He's wearing a white cotton t-shirt that has been carelessly decorated with dirt and oil. However, the man doesn't seem to care as he keeps wiping his shirt and face with his greasy hands. He's wearing his signature safety goggles on the top of his head as if it was a crown adorning his unruly hair. She can't help but smile at the scene. Unfortunately, the professor's distracting thoughts haven't abated like he wished. He's so immersed in his thoughts that the wrench somehow falls and hits his left foot. After uttering a couple of unmentionable words, he angrily grabs the wrench and throws it across the room. Next thing he knows, he sees a hand appear from outside the door and grab the flying tool.

"You ought to be more careful, professor. You could have gouged someone's eye with this", the woman eyes the tool in a curious fashion, "with this object."

The man instantly recognizes that taunting voice, even if it takes him a while to recognize her appearance. He observes a well-dressed woman sporting an unruly chignon and a chic pair of sunglasses. She looks so grown up…but he erases those thoughts in a flash. He slowly walks towards her and gently pulls the tool out of her hands. "It's called a monkey wrench, WordGirl."

How rather casual of WordGirl to show up at his doorstep with such a nonchalant demeanor! As if she had just met him yesterday for lunch. As if she hadn't disappeared for a decade without any reasonable explanation. She has the nerve to act as if nothing has happened!

Mildly offended by WordGirl's behavior, the man rapidly goes back to his work, intent on ignoring his visitor. After five minutes of silence, he turns around and sees that the woman is still standing there, with a perplexed look on her facial features. He can look at her face clearly now for she has removed the glasses and perched them on the top of her head as if she was trying to imitate him.

Unfortunately, his mother taught him manners and reiterated the importance of behaving like a gentleman. He knows he can't ignore the girl forever. So he finally decides to ask her, "What business do you have here, WordGirl?"

The woman isn't taken aback with his barking question. She still remembers his curtness when he's in a bad mood or out of his comfort zone. She decides to go straight to the point. "I read your letter in the Daily News. You have summoned me and I am here."

Professor Boxleitner gives her a plaintive look and murmurs, "I gather you have never read Shakespeare. As today is not the Ides of January."

Is that why he's upset with her? Because she isn't playing the game like she's supposed to? WordGirl returns the same look and says, "I couldn't wait a fortnight, soothsayer. I suspect that you are in a rather grumpy disposition today so I'll return on the 15th."

No, she couldn't leave now. But he was not going to beg her to stay. After all, he was one of the greatest villains Fair City had ever seen. There was no way WordGirl, of all people, could discover his well-hidden sensitivity. Therefore, the professor hardens his stare and quickly takes out a smartphone out of his back pocket. "WordGirl, if you move a muscle, I will zap you with the powerful cheese ray."

The woman's dark eyes discretely observe Dr. Two-Brains posture. It is too rigid, too tense. A drop of sweat starts to form on his brow. No signature smirk adorns his face. WordGirl knows for sure that he is bluffing. Wasn't he cursing the malfunctioning machine a couple of minutes ago? Nonetheless, she remembers that if Huggy was present, he would exhort her with these wise words: "Be innocent as a dove, but cautious as a serpent." Closely observing the man's hands, WordGirl calmly asks, "My dear Cassius Brutus, may I have a word before my tragic demise?"

Oh, this girl is too sharp, too clever for her own good. It's frightening to see how she easily finds a chink on his superficial bravado. She knows that his sense of humor will conquer his anger and discomfort. So there she is, trying to disarm him with her wits, not with her physical strength.

"Please don't turn me into gorgonzola. I wouldn't be able to bear the smell." WordGirl deadpans the statement but her large chestnut eyes sparkle with mischief. The man unsuccessfully tries to stifle a hoarse laugh while the heroine notices with optimism his changing mood. At this time, she ventures to speak to him in a serious tone. "Professor, Dr. Two-Brains, I'm sure you've been wondering where I've been all this time."

Why is she always right? It's true. He has been wondering but now he's unsure if he wants to listen to her reasons. The man doesn't quite know what to respond but he says, "You don't have to explain anything. It's none of my business."

WordGirl warily closes the distance between them. She notices that his hands aren't even touching the phone anymore. She takes that as a good sign and continues walking towards him. "We've been friends since I was a child. I owe you an explanation." The woman wishes to continue her speech but she suddenly stops as her eyes widen in shock. Her voice lowers into a whisper. "Two-Brains, could you please turn around slowly and tell me what you see?"

The woman's surprised expression tells the professor that her emotions are sincere and there's no trick under her sleeve. He slowly turns around and observes a hallucinating vision. An enormously long, green scaly creature is floating near the windows. Not only that, there are four teenagers traveling on the back of the monster as if they were riding on an old mare. He wishes he had listened to his folks when they told him not to smoke that stuff. Then again, this is not a crazy hallucination, this vision is really true. Unless WordGirl is smoking that stuff as well.

At that time, the woman creeps closer to the wall, wishing to remain hidden from view. The professor tries to tell her something, but she motions with her hands for silence as she's trying to listen to the outsiders' conversation. Her expression momentarily brightens as she explains, "They're the Xiaolin Dragons!"

Dr. Two-Brains rolls his eyes. "What are those goody two-shoes doing here? Let me guess, they're looking for the Shen Gong whack." Noticing WordGirl's surprised expression, he admits, "I've done my research about the Xiaolin and Heylin sides. You're not the only bookworm around here."

WordGirl ignores the man's remark and continues explaining. "Apparently, the activated Wu is called Goggles of Darkness. It allows the user to discover a person's inner emotions and darkest secrets." Unfortunately, she couldn't eavesdrop anymore as the Xiaolin Dragons were immediately accosted by a dozen of robotized ruffians. The red tunic-clad teenagers started using their elements against the attacking robots, filling the sky with blazes of fire, water and earth.

WordGirl debates whether she should join the battle or not. The practical side of her brain tells her to mind her own business and that she will probably jeopardize Xiaolin success if she interferes. Dr. Two-Brain quietly observes the woman's inner battle with herself. He tries to distract her by asking, "Weren't those magical trinkets created 1500 years ago?"

"I believe so", responds the woman, even though she doesn't understand the man's sudden interest in the topic.

"Do you think people wore goggles in the 5th century?"

Of course not. It's like saying humanity lived alongside dinosaurs. Or that the fashionable ladies of the roaring twenties wore legwarmers as a fashion statement. Or that Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity while texting his buddies on his cellphone. The Goggles of Darkness could be considered an anachronism. I presume not even Dashi knows how to pronounce that word.

WordGirl's thoughts are interrupted by the escalating noise and chaos outside the workshop. She starts trotting towards the door but her companion grabs her by her arm. He looks straight into her eyes and quietly tells her, "There is no way you're going out there. It's too dangerous."

The woman is about to reply but a strong boom shakes the room they are in. Out of nowhere, waves of water erupt into the doorway and flood the workshop. WordGirl manages to glide out of the torrent's way but the professor isn't so lucky. The water hits him head on and violently snatches him in its strong grip. Next thing she knows, she observes the water shattering the windows, pushing everything in its path towards the ledge of the building. The only thing she can hear is Dr. Two-Brains anguished scream as he falls to his imminent death.

Without any further thought, WordGirl breaks through the wall and flies towards the falling man. He is still desperately trying to grab on to a ledge when he feels a pair of arms grab him from behind. The descent is much slower as WordGirl struggles to balance both of their bodies in mid-air, tightly grasping onto his torso, until they finally land safely on the ground.

The concerned brunette inquires about possible injuries. "No, I'm not injured. Just sopping wet", answers the man as he tries to wring the excess moisture from his clothes.

"You'll be more than sopping wet if you don't hand over the Wu!" threatens a rather high-pitched voice above them. It belongs to a stringy, pale-faced redhead donning black clothing. He's hovering in the air with the help of a heli-pack. At least a dozen of menacing-looking robots surround WordGirl and Dr. Two-Brains as their master annoyingly cackles to himself.

Dr. Two-Brains is extremely displeased with this wanna-be villain. He coolly tells him, "You're in the wrong place, kid. The Goth Club hangs out at the sorority building."

"Cut it off, old dude! No one makes fun of Jack Spicer, evil boy genius, and gets away with it! Jack-bots, attack!"

But the Jack-bots didn't attack. They couldn't because they were worthless piles of rubbish by now. If the evil boy genius hadn't been gloating over his enemies' future demise, he would have noticed WordGirl crushing the robots with her bare hands. And he would have noticed the speedy woman using his own heli-pack to chain him to a streetlight.

The commotion on the ground attracted the unwanted attention of the giant dragon and his Xiaolin friends. WordGirl glares at them and asks, "Which one of you is next?"

Taken aback by her words, the green reptile and three of the four monks gloomily observe her in silence. However, a dark-haired man jumps off the dragon and introduces himself. "My name is Raimundo, Dragon of Wind. These are Omi, Kimiko and Clay, Dragons of Water, Fire and Earth respectively. And this fellow here", he taps the creature on its snout, "is Dojo. We are the Xiaolin Dragons."

WordGirl continues glaring at them, especially at the Dragon of Water, as she recalls how his element almost caused a murder a couple of minutes ago. However, Dojo downsizes to his normal 1.5 foot self and settles himself around WordGirl's neck. "And you must be WordGirl, Fair City's superhero! You destroyed the Jack-bots in ten seconds flat! That was utterly amazing!"

The woman can swear she heard Dr. Two-Brains cough "suck-up" as he walked by them. She timidly mouths a thank you to the overly-excited reptile and responds to Raimundo, "I suppose the search for the Goggles of Darkness brought you to Fair City." She removes her red and black glasses and offers them to the Xiaolin leader. "I acquired these on a whim this morning. I'm not attached to them."

Those were the same goggles Dojo had observed a day ago at the thrift store. However, Dojo's forgetfulness allowed Raimundo to continue with his original mission: convince WordGirl to join them to prevent earth's tumble into 962 years of darkness. The man contemplates her for a while as he is about to grab the goggles. "That's one of the reasons why we came here."

"We we're dying to meet you as well, WordGirl", says a silky, deep voice behind the woman. She quickly turns around and is face-to-face with a handsome man with long jet-black hair. His gloved hand grasps the Wu and the artifact starts emitting a golden halo. WordGirl hears Dojo's scales shudder in fear as he whispers, "Chase Young is going to challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!"

Phenomenal! As if seeing a long-lost acquaintance again after ten years wasn't enough for her overcharged brain! Now she has to deal with some pajama-clad kids calling themselves the chosen Xiaolin ones, a zealous dragon and a drop-dead gorgeous Heylin Lord who challenged her to a showdown.

"What the heck are you doing, Chase? You're supposed to be cooperating with us!" angrily responds Raimundo. His remarks are followed by "Dirty, low-down snake!", "Oh, this is very bad, indeed." and "Stop smirking, you perv!" from the other monks.

Ignoring the offensive remarks, Chase Young and WordGirl begin negotiating the upcoming showdown. No "magical trinkets" allowed. No Wu will be wagered on neither side (as WordGirl doesn't own any). The loser will not swear loyalty to the winner (the Heylin Lord was a bit peeved about that one). The winner of the contest would legally obtain the Goggles of Darkness, no strings attached. If it weren't for the fact that WordGirl and Chase Young were dueling each other, this would have been an extremely bland and boring showdown.

"We shall fight to the death", lowly growls Chase as WordGirl nervously chuckles at the idea. "No need to go to those extremes. Last person standing wins the Wu."

"Agreed." With that last word, Purple Haven University disappears as a flat plain covers the whole area. As Xiaolin Showdowns require special protocol, Chase Young's simple samurai suit transforms into bronze armor, long black pants and hardy leather boots. His opponent's professional slacks, shirt and coat transform as well. A deep crimson silk dress envelops WordGirl's body as bronze coils appear on her neck for decoration and protection. The dress reaches mid-calf, revealing a pair of strong legs enclosed in black slippers. WordGirl flies to a nearby window and observes her own reflection. "I'm looking too damn pretty", she mutters to herself as she catches all the males, including her opponent, ogling at her.

Kimiko, accustomed to her friends' behavior by now, walks up to WordGirl and warmly hugs her. "You look great! Now, go out there and kick some Heylin butt!"


	8. Chapter 8

Gong Yi Tanpai! The words loudly permeate the air as the Heylin warrior and Fair City's heroine clash for the first time. WordGirl launches an offensive attack but Chase's super-honed reflexes allow him to block it effectively. He tries to jab her costal area but underestimates the woman's speed. She dodges the blow and rewards him with a strong kick on his back. The kick pushes him approximately eight feet away and almost causes him to lose his balance. Fortunately, Chase flips over and nimbly falls on his two feet. Both adversaries realize this is going to be a lengthy and arduous battle.

Most of the spectators watch the ongoing showdown with excitement and awe. It's almost as exciting as seeing Chase Young face off Guan, one of the best Xiaolin warriors ever to exist. Almost as good…WordGirl can't fling energy balls at Chase. Then again, Guan can't fly circles around his opponent either.

Kimiko, the most observant of the Xiaolin Dragons, notices Dr. Two-Brains wince a bit after he sees WordGirl get kicked in the stomach. After the woman quickly spins around and counterattacks, Kimiko approaches the concerned professor. "She's a really skilled fighter."

Not paying attention to Kimiko's comment, the man asks, "Is this Chase fellow always so aggressive?"

"He should be accused of a capital crime for dueling so ferociously against a lady. Especially when she's so nicely dressed", thinks the man in silence. How ironic considering he had threatened to turn the same woman into a dairy product! It didn't really matter, though. Both of them knew he couldn't hurt a fly with that malfunctioning machine.

The Fire Dragon proceeds to explain Chase's back story. Dr. Two-Brains doesn't feel like hearing someone's life story but he doesn't want to be burnt to a crisp either. He patiently endures the tale, always the same tale, about an underdog who has to overcompensate for his real and imagined deficiencies. Straight man to straight man, this Chase fellow seems to have everything in life: he's got the looks women dig, he's filthy rich, he's got mad kung-fu skills and he's got that ridiculously shiny hair. Why does he have to complicate his life even further by trying to prove he's the best martial arts fighter in the world?

Meanwhile, after considerable kicking, punching, and body-slamming, both WordGirl and Chase Young reach a stalemate. Both slowly circle around each other, warily observing their hands and feet for any slight movement. They have been so focused on their duel that they had completely ignored their surroundings. Now they can hear the monks cheering and encouraging WordGirl for her efforts.

Chase's reptilian eyes simply scowl in disgust. "Patronizing fools. Only one monk of the whole lot is skilled enough to battle me for a whole ten minutes." His eyes seem to soften a bit while he continues circling around his opponent. "You have fared better than most of them even though you haven't received the proper training. I am rather impressed."

WordGirl's eyes continue to focus on her foe's hands and feet as she accepts his compliment. "If I had received the proper training, I would have stringed you by your toes by now."

Instead of feeling insulted, the Heylin lord cracks one of the most beautiful smiles WordGirl has ever seen. "How very Heylin of you, WordGirl", he suavely responds as he retains his devilish smile. The young heroine can't help herself. She delivers a luminous smile that even captivates her evil adversary.

At this point, Dr. Two-Brains yells at both fighters. "Do you think we've got all the time in the world?! Stop flirting and start fighting!"

Chase casts a side-way glance towards WordGirl and loudly whispers, "Please tell your boyfriend not to interfere in a Xiaolin Showdown." Then he looks straight at the slightly-reddening professor and mockingly asks him, "A bit jealous, aren't we?"

He's so busy reveling over discovering the professor's jealousy that he doesn't notice WordGirl lunge straight towards him. He watches as a red and brown blur captures him by his armor and tries to fling him across the field. Chase rapidly somersaults away from her and lands on one knee. He had heard a shredding sound; as if someone was ripping clothes. He didn't think about it until he notices his naked knees.

WordGirl had heard the exact noise. She summarily examines her dress in search for any tears or holes. She sighs in relief at the discovery that her clothing survived unscathed. However, as she lowers her eyes, she observes torn black clothing and twisted bronze armor next to her feet. Are those someone's trousers? Correction, _Were those someone's trousers?_ Because those ridiculously shredded pieces of cloth cannot be considered trousers anymore.

At that moment, WordGirl realizes the destroyed pants belonged to her opponent, one of the most experienced martial arts fighter in the world. She timidly ventures to look at Chase and is pleasantly surprised to see that he still conserves a black t-shirt, leather boots and hot-pink boxers. She has to admit: the man is a sharp dresser. Black and pink pair very well together.

Chase's brain still hasn't processed all of the incoming information. He just hears a couple of snickers from the crowd and sees WordGirl trying to suppress a malicious grin. Finally, he discovers that the woman snatched his clothes away during their last fight. Well, well, she must be falling victim to my captivating sculpt abs and well-formed legs. Take that, rat head! Unfortunately, he decides to stare down at his feet and is instantly blinded by his boxers' phosphorescent color. What the heck! What happened to his plain black boxers? Unknown to Chase, an obnoxious frenemy called Wuya had hexed all of his underwear just for the sake of evil.

The Xiaolin Dragons were sincerely trying to empathize with Chase Young's plight. Have not all of them, at least once in their lives, been publically humiliated in one way or another? And they were all adults now; no some silly and immature ten year-olds. WordGirl was profusely apologizing for her excessive use of strength, when someone decided to whistle. The wolf-whistle silently floats through the air and everybody just loses their stoic calmness. Amid roars and tears of laughter from the others, Dr. Two-Brains remains silent with a slight smirk on his face. He had already done enough damage with his innocuous whistle.

A blood-curling growl instantly stops the snickers and laughs in its tracks. WordGirl observes in horror as the human Chase transforms into his terrifying dragon form. In his blinding fury, he races directly towards WordGirl, intent on shredding her to pieces. She wasn't expecting the dragon's burst of energy. His sharp claws manage to scrape the bronze coils on her delicate neck but she glides away just in time. She quickly floats above Chase and inflicts a painful kick on his lumbar region. As he groans in misery, WordGirl grabs him by his spiky tail and spins him around and around. With her last ounce of strength, she finally slams the dizzy dragon on the floor. The scenery disappears in a blurry haze as she watches the spectators run towards them. She's no longer wearing the red dress and has mysteriously acquired the Goggles of Darkness. Most important of all, Chase Young has reverted to his human form and his hot-pink boxers are safely tucked inside his samurai outfit.

During the confusion of the past few minutes, WordGirl fell on top of the dragon as he lay defeated on the ground. Realizing that she's still on top of Chase, she rapidly hops off and graciously offers her hand to help him to his feet. He accepts it but doesn't let go of her hand even after standing up. His amber eyes glow beautifully as he slowly says, "It was a pleasure to duel you today." After a second or two, he mischievously asks in a low whisper, "Has anyone ever told you that you have gorgeous eyes, Ms. Botsford?"

The woman is shaken by Chase's knowledge of her identity. However, she confidently answers with a tiny smirk. "My mirror tells me that every single time."

Who would have thought Chase Young, the loser of the showdown, would sincerely shake his opponent's hand without crushing it to pieces? And that he is capable of sharing a rather benign-sounding laugh with WordGirl? After a couple of chuckles, Chase summons a dark hole and begins to disappear. "Now I know that Master Fung picked the right person for the job. You may proceed now, Pedrosa."

Pedrosa or Raimundo (as WordGirl and Dr. Two-Brains know him) angrily responds, "That's what I was trying to do before you barged in!" However, Chase Young ignores him as he completely disappears in a bright flash of light. Slightly confused, WordGirl turns around; her eyes begging a reasonable explanation from the Xiaolin leader. Wind is a rather impetuous, free-flowing element and its Dragon is no exception. With his characteristic directness, Raimundo can only answer WordGirl's unasked question, "How do I inform an exhausted heroine that just woke up from a three-day coma that she is expected to save the world yet again?"

WgWgWgWg

To be quite honest, Raimundo anticipated WordGirl to feel a bit overwhelmed; maybe a little upset when she found out the reason of their unexpected visit. However, the woman simply stared and never uttered a word while he was explaining the impending doom. She didn't react even while she viewed the various charts and meteorological reviews. After an interminable silence elapsed, the heroine finally spoke in a low tone, "I have to think about this. When do you expect an answer?"

The green-eyed man cautiously answers, "The meteor will strike Beijing in three weeks. I need to know by the end of the day."

All the monks continue observing WordGirl as she slowly walks towards the Science Department building. As soon as she disappears into the building, the bald monk loudly whispers to his comrades. "I don't understand why she has to think about it! It is her duty to help us."

Dr. Two-Brains couldn't help but become infuriated with the overly-righteous remark. He instantly walks up to the teenager until he stands mere inches away from his face (not really, considering Omi is a tad-bit short and his face barely reaches the professor's clavicles). The professor slowly enunciates his words at a rather wide-eyed Omi. "Really? Does she have the obligation to help you? Last time I checked, she wasn't hailed as the Chosen One."

Kimiko decides to interrupt at seeing Omi's precarious situation. "Professor Boxleitner, I apologize for my friend's stupid bluntness", she says while giving Omi a nasty look. The Xiaolin leader, Raimundo Pedrosa, calmly speaks to the man. "WordGirl single-handedly defeated a meteor ten years ago. And we really need all the help we can get." Dr. Two-Brains believes Raimundo's comment whole-heartedly. They really need all the help they can get considering the bald slug-brained monk almost drowned him to death. And considering how an inexperienced WordGirl easily whooped Chase Young, their most dangerous nemesis in a showdown (while most of them get their behinds whooped by the above-mentioned villain). However, the wise man keeps his insulting comments to himself. He merely tells Raimundo that they will just have to try harder to convince WordGirl to assist them. Moving to another topic, the professor curiously asks, "By the way, how do you know my name?"

Dojo, the ever-fawning reptile, unexpectedly curls around the professor's neck while answering the question. "Let's see, we know you're Professor Steven Boxleitner, alias Dr. Two-Brains, because of the scar on your head, because you got some suspicious-looking machines in your workshop and you've got a killer gourmet cheese collection. I must admit the Gouda looks extremely remarkable. Do you mind letting us taste a sample?" Sneaky little gecko! He shamelessly adulates Dr. Two-Brains as easily as he adulates WordGirl. But Dojo has a noble reason to get in the former villain's good graces. He wants Raimundo to check out the cheese ray machine as it might help them destroy the impending meteor. They really need all the help they can get.

While Dr. Two-Brains directs the Xiaolin Dragons to his apartment, Omi surreptitiously separates from the group. He rambles on the University's campus, observing the naked and gnarled oak trees. As he turns around a corner, he is unpleasantly surprised by the appearance of Chase Young. The Heylin Lord is quietly sitting on the stairs of the Sorority Building, his eyes closed as he meditates on his dastardly plans. Omi tries to pass by unobserved but Chase's silky voice stops him in his tracks. "What brings you around here? Remorse or shame?"

"I know not shame, Chase Young.", haughtily responds the Water Dragon.

Chase's amber eyes open in amusement. "I have never experienced shame, per say. But I know shame when I see it. Are you not ashamed of ruining Master Fung's plan with your reckless behavior?" Omi's haughty expression quickly turns into one of surprise. "You almost killed WordGirl and Professor Boxleitner with your element today, don't you remember?"

"I can't explain what happened. I was fighting Jack Spicer. I don't know how the water got into the room." At this point, Omi's eyes start to moisten with tears. "I didn't mean to do it. It will be my fault if WordGirl doesn't want to help us."

The Heylin Lord sadistically watches Omi berate his self-esteem over his errors. He finally tells the young warrior, "There is a way to redeem yourself but you will have to trust me completely." He leans closer to Omi and slowly states, "We need to find out why WordGirl doesn't want to accept the mission. There has to be a hidden motive." Omi knows exactly what Chase Young wants: he wants him to hand over the Googles of Darkness. How can he betray his fellow comrades by handing over the hard-won Wu? In this case, however, the ends justify the means. Maybe Chase can discover WordGirl's hidden reasons for not cooperating and then, maybe then, they can have a chance to convince her to join them. And maybe there's a chance to redeem himself, after all. Finally, Omi reasons that it is his duty to give the Wu to Chase. Chase eagerly grabs the goggles and swears to return them in an hour. He swiftly teleports out of Omi's sight and Omi continues rambling in the University's campus, as if the previous encounter had never happened.

WgWgWgWg

Meanwhile, the woman involved in the midst of all this craziness sits by herself on the building's rooftop. After thirty minutes of solitude, she hears a set of heavy steps walking up the stairs. She continues playing around with a discarded monkey wrench as she hears the steps coming closer and closer until they finally stop. A familiar voice chides her, "You should be more careful, WordGirl. You might pinch your fingers."

A small grin appears on WordGirl's otherwise serious expression. The professor then asks her if he may have a seat. WordGirl answers by patting the area next to her while Dr. Two-Brains obliges and sits down. He breaks the silence even further by saying, "I'm a rather prosaic guy but I can't help but admire the sunset." It really was a wondrous sight: shades of tangerines, violets and reds paint the sky as the sun dips in the horizon. The fading solar rays lightly bounce off of their faces; highlighting the woman's dark hair and the man's faint worry lines. WordGirl sadly witnesses the beautiful scene as she keeps her thoughts to herself. What if this is one of the last sunsets the world will ever see?

"I know you believe I am selfish", the woman ventures to say at last. "And you're right. I can't explain it any other way." Dr. Two-Brains gives her a puzzled look. "I would never consider the woman who risked her life to save me to be selfish. She might be a little stubborn or slightly insane or zealously altruistic but never selfish."

WordGirl shyly ignores the professor's compliments. "Trying to impress me with all those intelligent-sounding words?"

"As if, WordGirl. Just proving that you're not the only smart one on this rooftop", retorts the man as he inadvertently leans closer to the young woman. He is close enough to observe that she's wearing a thin leather necklace with a brown stone. The man experiences a rather strange pang in his stomach but he can't explain it. He ignores his feelings as he silently requests WordGirl to continue speaking.

Looking into those large cognac eyes (WordGirl merely scoffs at the thought of comparing her former enemy's eyes to alcohol), she finally tells him everything. She painfully recounts how ten years ago, she darted straight into the meteor and the horrible consequences that rapidly ensued. How she lost her own identity as her memories apparently disappeared for years. And worst of all, how her best friend and comrade, Captain HuggyFace, perished in the aftermaths of the explosion.

Lost for words, Dr. Two-Brains gingerly grabs the woman's hands and gives them a tight squeeze. He finally realizes that this courageous heroine, capable of amazing feats, is afraid. She's afraid of losing her family and friends. She's scared of losing her identity. She's afraid of being inadequate and weak. Anyone else would have laughed at her for having those stupid notions. But he couldn't laugh at her. She fears showing her vulnerability and yet she sincerely opens up to him. Why? After realizing he has imprisoned the woman's hands for a minute too long, he slowly lets go and tells her, "Do you understand that Fair City wouldn't be admiring this sunset if you had truly failed? But you didn't. And perhaps you can give that same chance to another city."

WordGirl ponders on the man's comments while she states, "Perhaps you're right." Her face instantly brightens up with a luminous smile as she decides to inform Raimundo and his comrades that she will join them at last.

Unknown to both of them, another individual was eavesdropping on their conversation. The stranger apparently disappears into thin air and reappears near the University's Sorority Building. He grudgingly throws the Googles of Darkness to a nearby passerby. The passerby quickly grabs the Wu and hides it inside his red tunic. "What did you learn, Chase?", he impatiently inquires.

"You don't need to worry your over-sized brain about anything. She has bypassed your mistakes and will join the team." Omi strongly sighs in relief but his happiness is short-lived as he observes Chase's next movement. The Heylin Lord removes a bluish, crystalline ball from his samurai tunic. The Water Dragon gasps in surprise as he rapidly checks his own clothing. How did Chase obtain his Orb of Tornami? He could have sworn he had it on him the whole time.

Chase simply chuckles at Omi's obvious discomfort. His reptilian eyes flicker maliciously as he provokes the teenager. "I'm rather disappointed about your carelessness, Omi. Always keep an eye on your Wu. The trinkets might fall in the wrong hands." And with those sinister words, Chase disappears once again. Only the shining Orb of Tornami remains on the tall, green grass.

"Holy macaroni! I have been deceived once more by this deceitful Chase Young!", thinks young Omi to himself as he runs towards the Science building. This was bad, very bad, indeed. How was he going to explain to the others that he allowed Chase Young to use the Goggles of Darkness on WordGirl? And when he heard the celebratory applause and overall sounds of happiness as he reached the professor's apartment, Omi didn't have the heart to ruin the mood. These upsetting news could wait another day.


End file.
